A Southwest Airways jet sits at a gate at Orlando Worldwide Airport in Orlando, Florida, U.S., October 11, 2021.
Joe Skipper | Reuters
A federal choose in Texas denied Southwest Airlines pilots union’s request to quickly block a vaccine mandate for workers, which is a requirement underneath new authorities guidelines.
Dallas-based Southwest Airways should require employees to be absolutely vaccinated towards Covid-19 by Dec. 8 until they obtain a spiritual or medical exemption, based on guidelines for federal contractors that the Biden administration issued final month.
Southwest and different main airways like Delta, United and American fly federal workers, U.S. mail and supply different companies to the federal government.
The Southwest Airways Pilots Affiliation, which represents some 9,000 aviators, sought a brief restraining order towards the mandate. The union had argued that the mandate, in addition to different Covid-related firm insurance policies, wanted to be negotiated with the union.
“Requiring Southwest workers to be vaccinated towards COVID-19 will likewise enhance the protection of air transportation, effectivity of Southwest’s operations, and additional the [collective bargaining agreement’s] aim of protected and cheap working circumstances for pilots,” U.S. District Decide Barbara Lynn wrote in her Tuesday ruling, denying the union’s restraining order request and dismissing the case.
The labor union mentioned it’s dissatisfied within the ruling and “we’re presently contemplating subsequent steps.”
It wasn’t the one dispute over airways’ vaccine mandates. United Airways is preventing a lawsuit in U.S. District Court docket in Fort Price introduced by six workers who alleged they had been unfairly denied exemptions to the mandate. The choose quickly blocked United’s plan to place employees with exemptions on unpaid go away.
